Sewing-machine.



At D. SMITH.

l SEWING MACHINE.

'APPLICATION FILED 050.27. I9I5.

SIW MS. I

Patented Apr. 2, QLQ

3 SHE[TS*SHEET1 @i #[RE A. D. SMITH.

SEWING MACHlNEf APPucAnoN HLED uEc.z7,1915.

l Patented Apr. 2, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

@l 622;@ dm

A. D. SMITH.

SEWING MACHINE.

APPLlcATloN FILED nmz?, 1915.

Patented Apr. 2, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

cation.

This invention relates 1n general to the lock stitch, and

two-spool sewing'machines, that is, those in .ALBERT D. SMITH, 0F ROOKFORD, ILLINUIS.

snwIN-MACHINE.

racimo.

Specication Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 2, i913.

Application led December 27, 1915. Serial No. 68,789

Be it known that, I, ALBERT D. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at ockford, in the county o'f Winnebago and State of Illinois, have invented certain new chines, of which art of sewing machines and has more particular reference to that class characterized by the employment of a rotary hook or looper and a rotary take-up for sewing a has further reference to which both the upper and lower thread is supplied from ordinary spools. One of the primary objects of my invention is to provide a commercially practical sewing machine containing various improvements designed to obviate numerous undesirable features in sewing machines now in common use. I have also aimed to provide a sewing machine `so improved in construction and operation as to be .exceedingly light running, easily voperated and controlled, and capable of being manufactured at a comparatively low cost. In materializing these general improvements, my invention contemplates various specific objects, as follows:

' One object of my invention is to providea practical two-spool obviatcs the necessity of winding bobbins thread supply. This and, in conjunction with a rotary looper, effects smooth and light running. So far as I am aware, the means devised prior to my invention for providing such a thread supply have been complicated in construction and expensive to manufacture, and further, are objectionable as a commercial product in that they did not permit the use of a sufficient ,range of di'erently narily used in sewingmachines. I have, therefore, provided a novel spool receptacle for holding the lower spool, so constructed that any of a large range of differently sized spools may `be easily and conveniently inserted into and removed from the receptacle. Furthermore, the spool receptacle is so 4designed Vthat it may be produced at a low cost and itself forms means for guiding and controlling the loop of the. upper thread formed by the looper.

Another objectv is to arrange the spool receptacle in coperation with a rotary hook or looper by mounting in an improved man- Sized spools ordi andgoose ner the receptacle upon a stationary support that is mounted in a race-way in the rotary hook. More specifically, the spool receptaf cle of a generalA U-shape cross-sectionally is pivotally mounted on a longitudinal airis and useful Improvements in SewingMathe following is a specifi@ sides ofthe receptacle forming guide surfaces for the loop which is passed around the receptacle. The-receptacle may be swung on its pivot from set working position to one v'wherein a spool may be easily inserted into and removed from the receptacle through anlopening in the work plate of the machine.'

Other objects and advantages will be apparentas the invention becomes better understood by reference to `the following descrlption when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein I have illustrated one working embodiment of the invention, and wherein- Figure 1 is a front elevation of a sewing machine containing my improvements;

Fig.' 2 is a cross-sectional the sewing machine showing tion of my improvements; v 'Fig 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 an end elevaare detail views of the y spoolcase support;

1g. 1s a perspective of the s col-case or receptacle, a portion of the thread device thereon being broken away Fig. 8 is a iary loop controller; and

tension q i perspective view of the auxil-V view `thrculgh j 1g. 9 is `a perspective view of the rotary .i

hook.

In'the drawings I have illustrated'only so much of a sewing machine as is necessary for an. understanding of my improvements.

eferring particularly to Figs. l and 2, it will b e observed that I have Ashown a conventional type of work plate 21, head 22,

shaft 25 is drivenv neckv23 in ,which is mounted a from the shaft 24 through the intermediary of a vertical 4shaft 27 connected at end by one to one bevel gears 28 withfthe shaft 24 and at its lower end with three' to its upper I l one bevel gears 29 with the shaft 95. By this arrangement of gearing the shai't 25 is rotated three times to every rotation of the shaft The shaft 211i drives the needlebar and rotary taleaip and the shaft Q5 the rotary hook or loopcr as is common in sewing machines oli this general character. Legs 3l support the work plate il at such a distance above a surlaee on which the ina- Chine head is set that the rotary hook will not be interfered with, il; beine,` umlel'sl'ood' that in use the sewing-g; machine head is mounted on a suitable stand The construction of the needhwbar 3&2, presser-bar 37 and its operating lever 39, feed bar lll, rotary talee-np and in, 'faetj all of the uieehanisin shown above the Worl plate 2l noi' claimed in this a,})pl'ication, hence detail description l'ierein olf suoli inechai'iisni is dee-ined ruinecessary. My present improvements, relatingv in. general to the rotary hook structure and the control oi the lower and upper threads below the Work plate ill will now be described.

The lower thread, taken from a spool f :n'ntained in. ay suitable receptacle is in 3 a stationary bobbin. The spool recepfaole 66 is mounted on a stationary support o? in turn mounted in a race-Way in a rotary hoolr G53; these reference characters being apa plied to l.eenerally designate their respective parr. The upper thread is taken 'from the needle by the point of the hook and passed in a loop about the stationary spool reeeptaele in av manner Well known in the art7 with the exception that the loop is coniirollfnl in a iovel way vby my in'iprored ineclmnism. This .mechanism is designed especially for controlling` a comparatively large loop, which is reqniredto be passed around the large spool oase. Fig. 9 clearly shows the constrncthin, of the rotary hook. lt comprises an ainmlar easnggr G9 formed with a hook peint 7l, a `depressed heel 72, a. racenay 73, and spid qr arms Til securing" the annular easing` to th hub 75, which is iixedly connected. to the shaft lfhe Vspool ease support7 best shown in and 'lapso de egnelfl. that .it may be `l out Y oit she" inet-al. The said sur in the race any, and a. rinir; if@ screwed to the anmllar casingfg G9 an lorin ine the outer side Wall of the Vrace'way holds the support against :.uizelnent therefrom. lhe support e? has the usual cutaway 7"? and loop spreader 7 rllhe central portion of the support 6);/ is pressed out to form flanges 79 and `Sl intermediate and upon which the spool receptacle is pirotally mounted. 'lhese flanges and 81 een.- stitute,stationary thread guides for guiding; and controlling the loopyand it will he noted 'that a curved continus. in ot the flange or thread guide S1 is provided ein. the forni el' a flange S2 wl'iieh in the present instance yconstructed. by pressing or raising a peripheral or inargillal portion oi' l'heblank from which the support GT is formed, to substantially right angles to the plane of said blank, in the manner clearly shown in Figs. l and 1'). The lower ends olf the flanges 79 and 8l are rounded as at 83 [zo shed the loop as it passes and the upper ends of the flanges 79 and 82 are shaped to provide fingers or thread guides 8l, and S5 which converge upwardly and are adapted to prevent the loop from crossing the path oit' the hook point. rlhe ringer 85 serves7 by its engagement in the reeess of the stationary bar 87, as the means for holding; the supiort (i7 against rotation, while the linger S4 terminates just short o the bar S7. ln the present instance, l have shown a flat spring 88 attached to the nnderside of the nger 85 and arranged to abut against a Wall of the recess 86 so as to resiliently hold the support 67 against rotation. The spring' 88 is not, however, necessary to successful operation of the sewing machine, as will appear hereinafter.

The spool receptacle 66, preferably pressed out oi sheet metal: has downwardly eonverging side walls 89 and 91 joined by end Walls and 93, so as to provide a receptacle of general "l or il shape'in cross-section. n rlhe receptacle G6 interposed between the flanges Z9 and 8l is pivotally mounted thereon by means of a pivot pin 94: liiassing through the narrow ends of the end walls and 93 of the receptacle. lt will be noted, Viewing Fig. il, that the pvot axis of the receptacle G6 is so inclined that the open side ot' the 4receptaole is disposed uppermost and toward the front ol the machine, and also that the said pivot airis lies substantially inthe plane of the race-way so that the receptacle is Centrally disposed relatively to the loep which is passed thereover. lt will be :fm2 ther noted that the downwardly converging outer sides 89 and 91 oit the receptacle form ineens for guiding the loop about the spool', l spring catch holds the receptacle in Work: position and permits the receptacle to he released against a given springr pressure troni said central position and swung outwardly on its pivot to permit access to the interior of the receptacle. This spriii'g;latch,j in the present instance, is formed by a portion. 95 or' the end Wall 93 being shaped to yieldingly engage the edge 9G of the support 6'? to hold thereceptacle against rocking on its pivot. It will loe manifest that upon swinging the receptacle 66 outwardly to a position limited. by the front Wall 89 of the receptacle abutting' against the adjacent edge of the ,support 6 a spool may be passed downwardly through the opening; in 'the il Viewing Awork plate into the receptacle. lhg. 3, it will be apparent that due to the general tf-shape of the receptacle, spools of isa v the spool receptacle.

various diameters may be employed. A spool inserted into the receptacle `66 rests oh the downwardly converging interior walls thereof and may turn freely thereon, and thus any of a large variety of `diiferently sized spools may be placed in the receptacle and will automatically assume a properworkingposition therein, since this position is determined merely by the spool resting on interior walls of the receptacle. The thread from the lower spool is passed ldownwardly through a V-shaped slot 98 in the said wall 89 and thence upwardly in said slot and over the portion 99, Fig. 7, of the receptacle wall. A fiat spring 101 bears yieldingly on the portion 99 and thus forms a spring tension for the lower thread. The tension of the spring 101 may be adjusted by turning the screw 102 which, as will be seen in Fig. 3, connects the raised portion of the spring to The thread-engaging end of the spring 101 has an end portion 103` turning over the edge of the wall 89 forming a stop for limiting outward movement of the spring andalso forming a guide forthe lower thread, `since this passes upwardly over the guide 103 recess 86 of the bar 87 to the needle-way.

An auxiliary loop guide or controller of peculiar shape, best shown in Figs. 2 and 8, and designated in general by reference character 1011, is mounted on a stationary support of the lsewing machine separate lfrom the spool receptacle support and parts appurtenant thereto and is operate with the thread-guiding means 82, 84; and 85 described above in-oontrolling the loop after it has been cast 0E from the point of the hook. This thread controller in the form of an angular piece of sheet metal is connected by means of a screw 105 and stu'd 106' to a lug 107 depending from the underside of the work plate 21 and extends diagonally to the front and left of the rotary hook viewing Fig. 1. Thus the said controller extends angularly to the hook in a horizontal plane and -thence inclines upwardly, as shown'in Fig. 2, into the space above the spool receptacle and terminates in close proximity to the base of the thread- -guiding arm 85 and relatively close to the support 67, as indicated in Figs. 2 and 6. It will be noted, Viewing Figs. 6 and 8, that the inner edge of the controller 104 is shaped to provide a thread-guiding edge 108 that is adapted to draw the loop beneath the flange 82 and substantially to the support 67 for a purpose which appears hereinafter.

The operation of the rotary take up (which is merely spoken of cation for purpose junction with the lock stitching will of illustration) in conrotary hook tovproduce now be described. Re-

ferringV especially to Fig. 2 and assuming `that a piece of cloth is held beneath the I threaded, it is `ready for sewing.

and through the' up. The hook point having in the meantime looper and generally in this applireceptacle is held slightlyv presser foot, after the machine has been A spool of thread. is so placed in the spool receptacle 06" that the thread is taken from the underside of the spool. After inserting the spool and swinging the receptacle back to set position, the loose end of the thread is entered in the slot 9S and guided therealong by a downward and then upward movement until .the thread is engaged by the spring tension thread being extended- 101, the end of the form the said tension a sufficient length for the loop to take the said end when being drawn up. The upper thread from the spool 59 is passed over guide 61 o the back of the head 22, thence downwardly over the corner 109,0f the face plate 4:9 and between the tensiondisks 63, the thread being entered therebetween at the rear side thereof and passed in a counterclockwise direction, viewing Fig. 2, around the disk. The thread is then passed through the rotary take-up 52 in a clockwise direction-over the pin 53 thereof, and thence downwardly beneath the hooked end 111 of the thread guide 64 and beneath the guide from the right hand side therebf. i This completes the guide means for the upper thread, is now passed through the eye of the needle.

lVith the needle at its highest point, as shown in Fig. 2, the take-up pin 53 has drawn nearly its full amount of slack thread, so that upon the down stroleof the needle there is but'a small amount of tliread drawn point 71 passes the needle way-once before the needle reaches its lowest point, and'when the needle is drawn up to form a small loop at its eye, the heok made another revolution, takes the loop from the needle.

The loop after being spread by the spreader 78 is drawn down by the hook point or passed around the spool receptacle. When the hook has reached its lower.- most point, it has drawn down the ful] amount of slack from tlie'take-up, the pin 53 of which is at its lowest point. The length of loop required to be passed around the spool receptacle is, greater than vthat necessary to bei passed around any spool or bobbin case nove in use. This is because of the comparatively'large size of my improved spoolreceptacle,Y which .isdesigned to contain a larger spool than any spool container'that I have knowledge of. Consequently a large range of differ-'- ently sized spools ordinarily used in sewing may be employed by the use of my improvements. i

The loop in being passed about the spool taut against the sides 91 and 92 thereof; These downwardly converging sides constitute very effective means for gradually spreading the loop and `controlling the same until it has passed which thread so far as I am aware,'

lill

:ll'ouud th(I roreptlule. The loop is oust oli ironl ill(l llooll just llllllr lellling the recepn lucie. '.l'lle lloolc point :lud the. tulle-np join nre uppl'o.\:iullltoly llt the points fil und Cl. respoctivel'v, (lio'. 2;) :lt this stage of tht'v sewing. The loop :is

lllrelld und drlius itv up to thc cloth :is is well understood. However, because olf the conlpllrlltil'cly large loop und the relative tiniingr ot thc tullonup und rotary hook, the takeu p does not drllw the loop up fusti enough 'to .keep it muy lronl tho point ol the hook, which during;v this period will pass through its upper v wle of l'otlltion.

ln lldel' lo prevent the loop troni. crossing` the plltll ol' the needle or troni 'twistillgl or ill :my wily being` euugjllt iu the lueclnlnisnl-, l hure provided ll'leslns ii'or positively Controlling' tho loop while it is being; drllwn up.

The 'trout und upper portion ot 'the loop `guided along the outer edge, of the llllnge 7!) und linger 8l und thus held out of the path ol ille needle. The reni.' portion ol the loop, lifter the ollstotl puisses through 'the cntllu'ujv 77 und guided llloug the illlnge 82 und finger lust ll'l'ter the ollst-oill` und :is the loop is boing drawn up in en- ;ngenlent with the lruidos 'il'. Sl, und. S5, tho end oli' the loop eng'llges thc inner edge ot the uuxilillry controller lOl und is drawn inwardly o l its odge 10h so :is to hold tllo loop slilzjlltl \Y lll t. All; will. he ,lllzlui'lest that, the, ond ot tlllA loop will 'follow :dong tht# odge 10B which tlllzes up thvy silugll of 'the loop und. dl'llws the end ot the loop hellelltll tho liront edgos of tho llllufres 7l) und Sil.

By tho time the loop rellollos the und of the od 10ol the hook point hns pllssoc.

the na (llo-wily und tllo short remaining loop still hold against tho lingors Si und 85, olln in no wily loul tho lloolt point or become twisted. .is the loop is .tilllllli7 drawn up, it posses between the spring' 3S und the woll ot the recess 8G en Ced by the spring, 'which yieldli to gire pzlssllgo to the tllrelld so that the support ll" .is not. moved. llowevel', this spring is not l'loeosstory und the linger muy itselit heur against the har 87, in which cils-el the sup port tl7`wil-l. lll Slightly moved :is the ond lli-p is drown up. This cl'nllpletes tho lrtitcili,l tho several inovlllille parts olf tho liewii'lg.,y il'nlclline heilig then in the po- .fsition shown in. lig. 2 in which position the eyele olf operation 'wus eoll'ullol'lood,

ln operating the machine the driving shaft 214i turns in n clockwise direction,4 'viewing Fig. 2, und it will llo apparent that if the shaft is turned in the opposite direction, the riool' ino 'will not slew since `the hookV point will not. take 'the thread from the needle; und it will be :further apparent that if the solid drive shaft 'is turned in :l 'verse direction but :l slight distflncc when ity is drllwn up by thol tall o-up gilthers the loose end ot' the lower noon-ivo the 'upper thread loop is enga-ged by the 'tho loop sind will possiblgf' not rengflge it when, the. drivo shui't is again turned in the right direction. lt will also he not-ed that, duo to the three 'to one gearing. l slight reverse movement of the shaft 2li will cause :l reverse movement of the rotary hook'g'reat enough to withdraw its point from tho loop. 'lo prevent this occurrence, l have provided nlellns lor automatically preventing even the slightest movement of the rotary hook in a` reverse direction. This means Consists oit :l triotiou eli'ltch in the Jforni of l gravity hall l Pe' .riphel'zllifllee Alftt of the annular case 69 'c i the rotllry .hook mld un arcuate falce lll? oit :l depending hrllckot 14S secured to the under side olf' the work plate 21. The face lll-7 noneonoentl-io with the peripheral face 14.6 forms :lll inclined abutment, between the .time of which :incl the peripheral falce llo, the hull l-/l will bind :it the instant the rotury lloc/lf collllllencos to turn in the rolerse direetioll.l that: is, in il clockwise direction, l lowing lBig. lt will be seen that hy utilizing; tho rotary-l'iool casing us one oil the elen'lel'lts ol' the friction device, l' lll'lro prol'ieed -l Very sil'llple and effective incline: for p. youtillg lilovenflent of .the rotnrif hook in n reverse direction.

ll'llile in the foregoing', l have illustrated and deslcl'iliod. one practical, Working enlhodinleilt contllining my illlproifenlel'lts, it lsllouhl. lic understood that various changes iu tho construction :ind urrnl'lgeinent of purl-s only be resorted to without departing ii'ronl Athe spirit und scope o" the invention :is oxprvssod in the appended claims, Wllerninl el ini:

fl. ln :lrotnlljwhoolt sewing machine the coll'lbilllltion with n rotary hook, of :l spool receptacle. ot general lll-shape orluss-se-otioll- :illy providing li. pool opening between .its spzlcelfl sides, :intl inetlns pivot-lilly supporting mid reoeptoole within the rotary llool' in such manner that .l rlloepluole muy he, swung; on its pivot. tr-ern i sotposition for sewinff to :l position wherein si spool muy ho passen into und outJ ol the receptacle tllrougll itsE ,wool opalw fill li rotll-ry-llool sewing; machine, the conlliinotion. with :l rotary lloolr, ot a, spool reeei'ltnolo haring un open side Wllerethrough to n il ,spool into tho receptacle und boing L votlilly mounted Within the rotxlry hook intl n'lo'mhlo on its pi'votfrol'n u set position for sel/ving wherein-the open sido ol' tho recept-nolo is disposed upperlliost to :i position Whorein a spool may be passed into und out of the receptacle through its open side.

3; In i rotary-hook sowing machine, the comllinotion 'with il rotary hook, of zi spool side uppermost, whereby the spool receptacle may be swung on its pivot between working and spoolafeceiving positions and whereby also spools of various sizes may be placed in the receptacle and rest and turn on the said converging walls thereof.

4. In a rotary-hook sewing machine, the combination with a rotary hook and a stationary spool-case support mounted on a racoway in the rotary hook, of a spool case pivotally mounted en said support on an axis disposed substantially in the plane of the1'aee-way and providedv with an open 'upper side for the reception of a spool and side walls; cbnverfging downwardly ffrom said open side so that a spool may rest and turn on said walls, and means for holding the spool case in a set working position wherein its open side is disposed uppermost and for permitting the said `spool case to swing laterally to a position wherein a spool may be passed into and out of said ease through the open side thereof.

5. In a sewing machine, the kombination with a rotary hook having'a rac -way therein, of a stationary spool case sinpiort mounted in said race-way and for fed of a flat piece of metal with a central y,ortion pressed out to provide oppositely disposed thread guides adapted for guiding the loop drawn out by said hook and with a marginal portion bent to form a thread guide continuation of one of said thread guides.

6. In a rotary hook sewing machine, the combination of a rotary hook having an an nular raceway, a spool support mounted on said'raceway, a spool receptacle mounted on said support within the racewayand having an open upper side and downwardly converging walls upon which a spool may rest and be revoluble, said spool receptacle being so constructed that its youter convergent wall may be swung from a position /in which a spool is operatively retained to an outer position in which the spool may be freely-removed from the receptacle through its open top.

i'. In a rotary hooi; sewing machine, the combination ofl a rotary hook having an annular raeeway, a spool receptacle carried by the support and shaped to revolubly sup port a spool within the raceway on an inclined axis extending downwardly and to ward one side of the machine and including a pivoted retaining wall at the face of the rotary hook adapted to be swung from a position in which to operatively retain a spool to an outer position in which the spool may be freely removed from the receptacle.

8. In a rotary hook sewing machine, the combination of a rotary hook having an annular raceway, means mounted on the raceway for carrying a spool or the like within theJ raceway and provided with outstanding thread guides disposed within the raceway and extending about certain sides of a spool for guiding the loop as it is drawn up by the needle, and an auxiliary thread controller in the form of a stationary arm arranged so that its end terminates intermediate said thread guides a substantial dis tance inwardly of the thread guiding edges thereof and adjacent to the needle way so as to guide the end ofthe loop inwardly a substantial distance with respect to said thread guides to prevent the loop from fouling the hook.

9. In a rotary hook sewing machine, the combination of a rotary hook having an annular raceway therein, a stationary spool support mountedon said raceway, a spool receptacle or supporting means mounted on the spool supportwithin the raceway and movable with respect thereto from spoolface of the rotary hook intermediate and beyond the said circumferentially arranged thread guides and terminating in proximity to the needle @way for drawing the end of the loop over said thread guides and inwardly with respect to their thread guiding edges to prevent the loop from fouling the hook.

10. In a sewing machine, the combination of a rotary hook, a drive shaft means operative between the drive sha and rotary hook for revolving the latter at a faster speed than the former, and means for automatically frictionally engaging an annular wall of the rotary hook to immediately prevent rotation thereof in a direction opposite to its working direction of rotation.

` ALBERT D. SMITH. 

